Texas State Bar Breached

State Bar of Texas Hit by Massive Data Breach, Exposing Data of Over 100,000 Attorneys

Mark Jamison

4/9/20251 min read

The texas flag waves against a blue sky.
The texas flag waves against a blue sky.

The State Bar of Texas is grappling with a significant data breach after an unauthorized actor gained access to its network between January 28 and February 9, 2025. The incident, discovered on February 12, compromised a trove of sensitive information belonging to more than 100,000 licensed attorneys.

The notorious INC ransomware group has claimed responsibility, posting samples of stolen files to its leak site as proof of the attack. While the State Bar has not officially confirmed the group's involvement, the breach has exposed highly confidential data, including Social Security numbers, financial details, medical records, and privileged legal case documents.

In response, the State Bar has launched a comprehensive investigation with third-party forensic experts and has begun notifying affected individuals. "We moved quickly to secure our network and understand the full scope of this sophisticated attack," a spokesperson for the organization might state. Impacted members are being offered complimentary credit monitoring services and are urged to remain vigilant against potential identity theft and fraud.

The organization has also informed law enforcement and the Attorneys General in Texas, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.

The breach raises serious concerns about the security of legal institutions, which house some of society's most sensitive data. The exposure of confidential case files could jeopardize ongoing litigation and violate attorney-client privilege, while the theft of personal data puts thousands of legal professionals at risk. This incident underscores the critical need for the legal sector to bolster its cybersecurity defenses against increasingly aggressive threat actors.

References:

https://www.teiss.co.uk/cyber-threats/state-bar-of-texas-confirms-data-breach-following-ransomware-gangs-claims-15594

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25878100-2024-04-01-state-bar-of-texas-data-breach-notice-to-consumers/

https://dailysecurityreview.com/security-spotlight/texas-state-bar-data-breach-exposes-sensitive-attorney-information/